What are Managed Server Services?
Server management
Most IT functions depend on the health and infrastructure of servers, making proper server management a critical task for data center administrators. Server management is a complex process, especially with the growth of cloud computing. System administrators must be able to manage corporate physical hardware, virtual machines, and multiple database and application servers at the same time.
In this article, we'll cover some of the basic aspects of server management and some resources you can speed up to keep your server environment healthy and running efficiently.
What is Server Management?
At the heart of the work, server management is about controlling or accessing servers to perform different types of administrative or maintenance tasks. Server management also includes server monitoring and performance visibility of a given server to promote and improve performance.
Fundamentals of server management
The first step to a healthy server environment is to understand some of the basics of server management. Here are some of the money laundering activities system administrators will encounter:
Accessibility: To manage a server, a server management tool, server management service, or server management software must be able to access the server it is trying to manage.
Updates: Basic server management tasks include the ability to help initiate and install software or firmware updates.
Configuration: The ability to install new software, add-ons, or functionality is often a key feature of server management.
Verification: You need to be able to monitor different types of servers for health, performance, and detect irregularities.
Common types of servers
You may come across servers in a variety of formats that perform specific functions, but there are certain types of servers that you are more likely to be involved with managing. Understanding what each server is doing will help you make sure it's working properly.
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) monitors the transfer of data files back from the server and the device.
Application servers connect and run applications that are used by a large number of users and eliminate the need to host local applications.
The web server displays the website in a browser and compiles and stores the website information.
Database Servers store a lot of information that an organization needs to function and make this information easily accessible.
A virtual server, also called a virtual machine (VM), allows multiple servers to host on one of the hardware devices. They are more difficult to control but increase performance by allowing managers to add power counts with fewer devices.
Proxy servers establish and manage connections between users and external servers.
Server Management and Monitoring Equipment
There is no shortage of different server management and monitoring tools that organizations can use to improve staff management capabilities with cost-effective features and technology capabilities. Depending on the usage situation and the type of server or application server organization wants to manage, there are several important factors to consider when looking for a managed server and monitoring device.
Main features of service management tool
Not all server management tools are created equal - here are some key service management tools to keep in mind when looking for a solution:
Overview: You should start by identifying which servers and applications your company will use. Then make sure the device you are considering is capable of covering all types of servers and applications in your stack.
User interface: Basic service management tasks can be performed via the terminal. However, the terminal may not be able to handle more complex functions. Some server management tools include an intuitive user interface with graphical capabilities to make advanced tasks more cost-effective.
Alerts: The ability to set performance or other thresholds that can trigger alerts is required. Consider what different alert phases are most important to your business, such as email, SMS, or another messaging app like Slack
Support: Server management can be tricky, so professional support from your reseller is often critical to success.
For a better understanding of which server management and monitoring tools are best for your business, read our best service monitoring software and tools for 2021.
What are Server Management Services?
Server management services help administrators to take direct responsibility for the management of certain server attributes. Depending on the type of server, there are different types of services that can be offered.
For hardware, server management can include full-service management, where the service provider is responsible for the corporate management and software of the server.
For web and application servers, server management at a hosting provider or in the cloud involves the management and maintenance of the server software. It can also include security as well as backup services for complete stability and stability.
Server management services can also help organizations identify the best server applications and make server software comparisons.
Benefits of Server Management Services
There are several reasons why you should consider using server management services. The best server monitoring software is only as good as the skill of the person using the software. And when some server management is transferred to a service - that's specifically for professional server management - there are several benefits:
Skills and Knowledge: Finding the right staff with the necessary skills and knowledge for various server management tasks can be challenging.
Operating Costs: Many server management services are membership based with a monthly or annual operating cost which may be more cost effective than in-house capacity building.
Scale: Large-scale servers often also require inspection and management at scale, which can provide a service management service.
Support: On-call support with guaranteed response times is often a key benefit offered by the best server management services.
